“Thunder.” And at that moment, hundreds in the room and who knows how many more watching broadcast streams elsewhere saw what Oklahoma City’s new downtown arena will look like. A glass façade. A circular shape. A rich interior. A magnificent building.

The NBA may finally be one step closer on the long road to expansion. Commissioner Adam Silver said Tuesday that the league has been tasked by team owners to study the issue more formally, which would be the first official move in a long process toward adding franchises.